The Republican journal., 1887-11-17
Met at Augusta or on the Wsy,

!
enthusiasts all, bat yet practical, and authorities
| in their respective lines. They were Secretary
Gilbert of the Maine Board of Agriculture, Labor
Commissioner Matthews, and Gen. Charles Ham,
lin, of Bangor, who is actively engaged in pro
noting the formation of loan and building associa
tons throughout the State. Of these something
Will be sail later Secretary Gilbert had just
held Farmers Institutes in Stockton and Morrill,,
and has been engaged in this educational work for
some months past. No other one man in Maine
has complete knowledge of the agriculture
OF the State, and no better idea of its prog
rese and possibilities. Mr.. Gilbert is an inter
estng talker and it is doubly pleasure to listen
t. lin a. the story he has to tell is encouraging.
He finds steady Improvement in all directions,
and in the course of conversation spoke in high
terms of Waldo county and its farmers. lie said
! there WAS no better farming land in Maine, or in
deed anywhere, than is to be found in Waldo
county and mentioned among other fertile sections
the Monroe valley. The exhibits at the annual
fairs show steady Improvement in agricultural
products Mr.. Gilbert said he used to think that
henncbec county took the lead in apple growing,
but he had seen at a fair in Waldo county speci-
mems OF the different varieties of apples which
could not be eNcelIed anywhere. Speaking gen
been done this year than in any former season
within his knowledge. This is good start for the
season OF 1888
Labor Commissioner Matthews confirmed from
statistics collected by him, the statements of Mr..
Gilbert with regard TO the substantial growth and
pro petity of Maine. He said he had it stat
Ell that since prohibition was established in Maine
there had been great falling of in the valuation
and that the state was going to decay and ruin.
He has abundant evidence to the direct contrary.
This talk naturally led 10 4 discussion to the
future Of -t:oostook, from which fair and fertile
region Mir. Gilbert but recently returned, while
MI Mathews was long identified with that county
ana, onl. few months ago resigned the editorship
OF The Aroostooh Republican, published at Carl
hoi to accept the position of Labor Commissioner,
with headquarters at Augusta. No attempt will
be made T. report tie conversation, of which only
some Of t.e salient points will he presented. Mr..
Gilbert expressed the opinion that the farmers of
Aroo7tocs MIN realize from their potato
crop this year than last, and Mr.. Mathews thought
that The starch INDUSTRY was now in Il good condi-
tion. Ia past seasons there has been an Pre-
tuc!On hut this year the product has been limited
ami operations will he resumed next year with
healthy market. Much was said as to railroad
facilities Both gentlemen recognize the fact that
| direct line must soon he necessity and that
when it is 4 necessity the road will be built, but
they evidently regard the present movement as
premature and hacking the elements of success.
Due credit should lie given to the New Brunswick
hallway f"r the Fart it has taken in the present
Development o. -arooStook. \ great problem to
hC considered j, the timber tracts of Aroostook
Z Al
tion, - well those whose product goes down
the st. John to be manufactured by Province labor
and from which -troo7took receives 10 return. The
tiii'tr lands are mainly hed by non-reS;dents and
the stumrage goes out of the county and in some
Instances out IF The state. These timber lands
1ea,t,-ly guarded from encroachment by their
owners, aiso stand in the way of agricultural de
velupue At and tie opening of the country to
settlement. They represent vast wealth, hut, said
iIr. Gilbert, acre in timber does not represent
( the r2lie of an acre in agricultural products.
! Gen. llann Is tull of facts and figures to show
the advantages Of loan and building ssociations
! but they need no advocacy with those who are
/ familiar With tl.er workings and the results. The
.aet that Philadelphia has more dwellings in pro
portion 10 Inhabitants than any other city in the
i
wage earner> and people with limited means TO be
! Come t'lt possessors Of homes of their own. In
many o;ler cities Of this country they have met
with Great success and their usefulness is general
| " r,rn -nizcd. We notice that the Bangor Loan
and Iiuilin- Association has just declared lvi
'icn",l OF three per cent. Oh the earnings for the
past -iN months making SIX per cent. for the year.
Tie earnings Have been considerably more than
t!a. but the Association will keep quite an amount
/ OF hand Il reserve fund. The indications are
favorable for the sale OF Il very large nlImI,cr of
shares OF the January series. Thus lar the Asso-
citation has been unable to supply the calls for
/ money which nave been made upon it, and the
! success predicted for It has arrived. During the
twenty months this Association has been in opera
ton fifteen houses have been built that with the
possible exception OF one OF Two would not have
been built but for this Association. Gen. IIamlin
| thinks that Belfast should have a Loan and Build.
| iH@ Association and said to the writer that he
Wotl como mere at any time to help organize one.
We have the material and the field here and would
| Ike To chronicle the organization Of the Belfast
n;tnd Building Association. la Massachusetts
there are u associations and they are paying an
average If eight per cent. per annum.
Hon. /. {. Libby of Bulnham is widely known
as q man Of progressive ideas, who has done much
to promote the material prosperity and moral wei
fare Of his native state. lie is an excellent exam
pie Of the sturdy lfmalc men of Maine Start
ing i'll life poor boy, with few resources OF adj
yantasoS, he has worked his way upward to bust
| mess pro spcrity and an honorable station. His
| financial success has hot been at the expense of
HIS fellow citizens. lie has hplucI them in helm
ing him self, and all times has had an eve to the
| best interests of the Maine people. His latest
| project, that Of establishing at some point on the
| Maine Central-Bunham, Bangor and Watcryille
are the places now un,ier OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
! cattle yards and sheep houses, is outlined in an
article on the fourth page, to which the attention
| Of our readers is directed. Mr. Libby is en-
thusastic in behalf Of this enterprise and is doing
all he can 10 bring ii about He Saws few people
can have an adequate idea of the number of cattle
and sheep which brought over the Maine Cen
trail and connecting lines from the Provinces and
! !roosip0k county. From the Aroostook alone Mr..
Libby iaa brought 10000 sheep the past season, and
he is now loading every Monday at Bulnham
some twenty carloads Of cattle and sheep He
finds himself unable, even with his numerous
assistants, to gather up all the cattle offered and
would create an open market to which the farmers
within radius Of twenty thirty miles could
'liNe their stock. with assurance of ready sale
and the competition among buyers would ensure
iu market rates 1t is also rcasona bic to supDose
that such Il ready market at home for cattle and
sheep would tend to increase the raising of stock
and diminish the sale of hay for expectation, a
practice that i condemned by all authorities on
successful farming Apart from that these stock
yards must be a good thing for Maine and we hope
to see them established. And why not at Burnh am
which would seem to he a more desirable location
than isso be found within the limits of a CITY.
Augusta, like Belfast, is enjoying boom which
makes itself manifest even to the transient ruest
who visits the residence section of the CITY. Oh.
servaton and enquiry fully confirmed the follow
ing statements from the Augusta correspondence
OF the Lewiston Gazette:
| Building operations have been active in Augusta
this season and it is no cXaggeraton to saw that
| more buildings have been erected within six
months than lii previous years for corresponding
period. in consequence of these improvements orr
mechanics have found steady and remuueratiye
employment at home, the taxable properly of the
city has been largely increased and the prospective
benefit to the investor being assured, good thing
is distributed all around. This is the correct notion
of community life, where no idle hands or money
are present, ami where dollar multiplies its now
and distributes its benefits in passing from hand
| to hand. some costly and elegant dwelling houses
| have been built, but by far the larger numher Of
the CrectlUnS represent the working life IF tho